By INTERNATIONAL, May 27 – In a ten-page ruling, the International People’s Tribunal (IPT) delivered a unanimous verdict finding President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, President Joseph R. Biden, and the Government of the United States guilty of War Crimes and Violations of International Humanitarian Law. The IPT issued its ruling on May 18, 2024, following a rigorous two-day convention attended by an international panel of jurors, prosecutors, legal experts, witnesses, and other contributors.
The tribunal meticulously reviewed oral testimonies, affidavits, written statements, and correspondence from victims, families, and witnesses. Additionally, it examined reports, publications, photographs, and audio/video recordings documenting the defendants’ violations of international humanitarian law. Central to the proceedings was an analysis of how terror laws exacerbated attacks on civilians, activists, human rights defenders, environmental advocates, journalists, and peace consultants.
KARAPATAN’s data revealed staggering figures under the US-Duterte regime (July 2016 to June 2022): 422 extrajudicial killings, 2,957 arbitrary arrests, 378,203 cases of bombings, 20,348 incidents of indiscriminate firing, and approximately 2.9 million cases of threats, harassment, and intimidation. During the subsequent US-Marcos regime (July 2022 to November 2023), the toll continued with 87 extrajudicial killings, 316 illegal arrests, 22,391 bombings, 39,769 incidents of indiscriminate firing, and over 1.6 million instances of threats, harassment, and intimidation.
Among the highlighted cases was the massacre of nine Tumandok Indigenous People’s leaders in central Panay, illustrating how counterinsurgency operations by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) resulted in civilian deaths.
Responding to the verdict, the Defend Panay Network applauded the IPT’s decision as a critical step towards justice for the Tumandoks and all victims of state-sponsored violence. The group called on the public to continue the fight for justice and to hold US-Duterte and US-Marcos accountable for spreading terror in communities.
The International People’s Tribunal 2024, convened by the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) and Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle (FFPS), served as a vital platform for victims, advocates, and their organizations to present evidence and legal arguments concerning atrocities committed under the Marcos and Duterte regimes, with support from the US./PT
